The Houston Choral
Society (HCS), in one of the most highly anticipated collaborations of
the season, joins forces with the renowned Prairie View A&M
University Concert Chorale to present Shout for Joy. The concert will be
conducted by Dr. Betty Devine, HCS Artistic Director and Dr. A. Jan
Taylor, Director of Choral Music Activities at Prairie View A&M
University, on Saturday, October 3, 2015, at The Foundry United
Methodist Church. Dr. Taylor will present a pre-concert lecture titled
“African American Spirituals: The Choral Arrangements” at 7:00 PM that
provides an insightful look at African American spirituals and the
impact they have had on American music. The concert begins at 7:30 PM.

The 100+ voice
joint choir begins The Houston Choral Society’s 28th season with Dr.
Adolphus Hailstork’s opening piece “Shout for Joy.” Hailstork said, “I
wanted to capture the feeling of a great European festival anthem while
using African-American sounds.” The choir also performs four African
American Spirituals arranged by Robert Shaw, Jestor Hairston, and Moses
Hogan.

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Dr. Adolphus Hailstork, professor of music and
Composer-in-Residence at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia,
will be attending the concert as a guest of The Houston Choral Society.